First game in China!

[Morticon]

So, after lugging my poor army to it's 5th country, and finding a local place to play 40k, I've had my first 40k game in my new home! 

It was an absolute blinder of a game thanks to fellow board member Tokugawa - who is a local 11 year veteran gamer. 

He had an absolutely devastating list and literally made me think about quitting after his 2nd turn :/ 

I was up against: 

Commander

Commander

10 Guard - plasmagun 

10 Guard - plasmagun

10 Guard - plasmagun

Pask - Russ

Russ

Russ

Russ

 

BT Captain - JP, Hammer 

BT Captain - JP, Hammer

5x Crusader - las/plas

5x Crusader - las/plas

5x Scouts - Storm Bolter

5x Dev - missile, las, hb - cherub

 

Armiger 

Armiger

Armiger  (all double Armiger autocannon)

 

I thought this was a scary list BEFORE i found out that the stats on the autocannon were 2d3, S7, -1 THREE Dam...and each Armiger has TWO <_< 

I was playing:

Captain Smash (Visions), Angels wing, Hammer, Shield, Artisan
Mephy

Priest - claw, JP, Veritas

 

5 Intercessors

2x 5 Scouts - HB, bolters

1x 5 Scouts - CCW, Pwr Swd

1x 5 Scouts- CCW

1x 5 Tac - Lascannon

 

8x DC - 2Hammers

8x VanVet - Hammer, Axe, Swd, 5Shield

Relic Sicaran Venator - LasSponsons 

 

Tarantula- HB
Tarantula- HB
3 Inceptors - plasma

 

5x Dev - missile, las, hb - cherub
5x Dev - las, las, hb - cherub

Rapier -Quad Mortar

______________________


Now, I'm not sure if we play it differently back home, but I didnt realise that the person that loses the one roll off actually gets to choose the board type. This is huge.  Too big IMHO. I think this needs to be rolled for - in a 6 objective Maelstrom game its just too game breaking.  

Case in point:  My opponent chose the one short board edge type that best fist his army.  He was able to make a big triangle buffer zone and deploy all the heavy hitters on his short board edge- completely outranging me.  

I had one thing going for me, and that was that we had the same amount of deploys and i wound up getting the +1 to start! 

I got a total of 5!! Yes!! 

He rolls a 6 <_< 

Oh dear.  At this point, I literally though....wow...this is gonna get ugly.  With 1 turn of shooting I could at least take a russ out...but now..no go. 

Things went from bad to worse. My Sicaran was promptly and quickly taken out by exceptional amounts of shots (11 and 9) from the battle cannons.  

Now, given the amount of firepower...I could have dealt with the death of the Sicaran...especially given it sucked up quite a bit of shooting.  But, it exploded.  And the bloody thing is a straight 6 and d6 mortal.  
It took out an ENTIRE Dev squad, and my mortar team.  My Warlord was literally a fraction of an inch away from death too. 

At this point, i was really disheartened.  I lost a 4/5, 1/5 and 2/5 scouts from squads and then all but 1 lascannon from the Devs. Think I lost 2 Intercessors too. 


Turn 1 was basically me holding my privates.....I'll take this time to say I HATE the new reserve rule.  Completely unbalances the game for us, and takes far too much away for no reason.  

Mephy moves into cover, and Smashy moves up too. along the same flank.  Priest stays behind to bring back another lascannon - because...i need all the help i can get.  I lay down some shots where possible - but not a lot is going down.  My remaining scouts moved up to get into combat and they charge some guard, taking out a few. 

At least I'm able to score points thanks to a lucky draw!  
 

His turn 2 is much kinder on me. 

I expected a complete whitewash here, but good saves and poor rolling on his part saw a lot more survive.  I lost the remnant scouts, with only a squad of 2 and 3 remaining, lost the devs and remaining intercessors. But luckily that was it.  

 

Now, finally the BA can do something about this horrid affair. 

Everything comes down, and Smashy redeploys via Descent next to the DC and the Inceptors. 

Mephy gets wings off again, luckily this time thanks to his failing a 4+ (rerolled) BT deny.   Meph is in position to tackle Pask (but I have other plans)

Shooting is okay for what I had- the Inceptors which take out a crusader squad. I take 9 damage off a Russ and  I take out a remnant squad of guard too. 

I have 4 charges lined up.  The Vanvets struck on the left flank, trying to get into the lines of guard through the scouts - they failed their charge. 
Captain smash was next - and he needed 13 to get to Pask.  on 3d6 it was a tough one- but I rolled a 12.  :/ 
Using a command reroll, i rerolled the 2 and got a 3.  Just in. 

I must say, now, that Veritas by this stage had saved me about 5 CP !!! It was amazing.  

 

Now that Smash was in Pask, I would use mephy to take on another Russ further away.  Thanks to wings + quickening -there was no problem and he was in too. 

 

The DC failed their charge though :/   

 

Mephy, boosted by quickening and then Red Rampage took out the one tank.  Captain Smash only saw 2 or 3 wounds through, one or two of which were saved- so only 4 damage.  I immediately elected to use Honour of the Chapter - and smashy finishes the job he was supposed to get right on try one. 

At this stage, I had also taken a few more game points! 
He was now on the back foot, if only for a little bit. 

Turn three saw him reposition- moving away from the attacking flank.  

He brought out his one counter-charge captain to engage with Meph. 
In shooting, he took out the Inceptors, and most of the DC (down to 1 man, i think). 

I think this was also the turn he scored 6 wounds on my Captain with the armiger - I completely duff my rolls and fail 4 of 6x 3++ :/  I'm gutted. 
Smashy is gone.  That was a HUGE one. 

Thankfully for me, Mephy survives the initial hammer attacks from the captain and immediately opts to fight back before he can (and would given the CP) fight again - mephy wrecks counter-captain's face.  Nom.  I use the auto-pass morale on the DC guy- knowing they would die otherwise. 
 

 

In my turn, Mephy moves up to finish off the other wounded Russ.  I would have liked to move him  up further, but I needed to heal him with the Priest I reposition thanks to Descent.   

 

Mephy kills the tank - it explodes - thankfully it doesnt kill him- but he's only got a wound left.  The explosion winds up killing the company commander that my DC had charged (his WL) - bummer being I could no longer activate him and then move into 3" consolidation of the guardsmen :( 

My remaining vanvets charge his Scouts make light work.  

Turn 4.  

 

Mephy finally goes down. Vanvets down. Scouts down.  

I now have a tac squad of 2 (1 model hidden), scout of 2 (1 model hidden) a priest and 2 tarantulas. 

 

But we're sitting on 10-6 to me. .....

 

it's at this point (not then....but now... as i write this) ...sorry..had to pause writing this to write Tokugawa an apology.....

I think he would likely have taken it.  

His armigers and Russ were all in range of my last units, so it depends what he shot at...but i think he would have tabled me in 5th.....so....what I thought was a 10-6 victory...looks like he got it!!

 

Oh well....great game...hard fought....and crazy till the end.  

 

 

 

[burningsky25]

 

Now, I'm not sure if we play it differently back home, but I didnt realise that the person that loses the one roll off actually gets to choose the board type. This is huge.  Too big IMHO. I think this needs to be rolled for - in a 6 objective Maelstrom game its just too game breaking.  

 

 

So I think at this point the mission rules are rather enigmatic - not unclear, just written poorly.  I wondered if that was how it was played at first as well, but came to the conclusion it is not.

 

In the mission rules under Deployment it says "The player who placed the sixth objective marker determines which of the standard deployment maps is used in the battle (pg 216) and picks one of the deployment zones on the map for their army.  Their opponent uses the other deployment zone"

 

Given only this information it is reasonable to assume the person who placed last simply chooses the deployment map, given the use of the word determines, but that's not it's only possible meaning.  If we turn to Page 216 it gives further details on what it means by determines: "When playing matched play missions, you must randomly select one of these deployment maps.  To do so, one of the players simply rolls a D6 - you then use the deployment map that corresponds to the result.  The mission will typically say which player makes this roll - if not, it is made by the youngest player."

 

Given this further clarification on Pg 216  I've always played that the player who placed 6th objective rolls for the deployment map - then as their bonus they get to first choose the deployment side.  This is offset by their opponent placing models first and getting a better chance to finish deployment first. 

 

Hope that clarifies things Morticon! If I've made a mistake I'd love to hear peoples thoughts.  Also thanks for the batrep Morticon and glad to hear you could get a game in!

 

(As an aside I think I figured out just now why the method of determining the deployment maps is ambiguous in the mission profile - how you determine them changes between matched or narrative and open.  It's easier to have a generic 'determines' and then specify under the deployment maps how this is determined based on matched, open, or narrative rather than fill extra space in the mission profile.) 

[Dont-Be-Haten]

 

 

Now, I'm not sure if we play it differently back home, but I didnt realise that the person that loses the one roll off actually gets to choose the board type. This is huge.  Too big IMHO. I think this needs to be rolled for - in a 6 objective Maelstrom game its just too game breaking.  

 

 

So I think at this point the mission rules are rather enigmatic - not unclear, just written poorly.  I wondered if that was how it was played at first as well, but came to the conclusion it is not.

 

In the mission rules under Deployment it says "The player who placed the sixth objective marker determines which of the standard deployment maps is used in the battle (pg 216) and picks one of the deployment zones on the map for their army.  Their opponent uses the other deployment zone"

 

Given only this information it is reasonable to assume the person who placed last simply chooses the deployment map, given the use of the word determines, but that's not it's only possible meaning.  If we turn to Page 216 it gives further details on what it means by determines: "When playing matched play missions, you must randomly select one of these deployment maps.  To do so, one of the players simply rolls a D6 - you then use the deployment map that corresponds to the result.  The mission will typically say which player makes this roll - if not, it is made by the youngest player."

 

Given this further clarification on Pg 216  I've always played that the player who placed 6th objective rolls for the deployment map - then as their bonus they get to first choose the deployment side.  This is offset by their opponent placing models first and getting a better chance to finish deployment first. 

 

Hope that clarifies things Morticon! If I've made a mistake I'd love to hear peoples thoughts.  Also thanks for the batrep Morticon and glad to hear you could get a game in!

 

(As an aside I think I figured out just now why the method of determining the deployment maps is ambiguous in the mission profile - how you determine them changes between matched or narrative and open.  It's easier to have a generic 'determines' and then specify under the deployment maps how this is determined based on matched, open, or narrative rather than fill extra space in the mission profile.) 

 

We have a house rule that we always roll for deployment. And if you drop the last objective you get to choose which side you want.

[Prot]

Every tournament, and gamestore I play at rolls for the map. The advantage a player has in getting that roll is he may CP reroll it.

[burningsky25]

Perhaps I was unclear, and probably should've added a TLDR after that extended post - but in short according to matched play rules you DO roll for deployment map, that's not a house rule, that's core rules.  The person who places 6th objective rolls for deployment map, then chooses a side.  Then opponent begins deploying models using opposite deployment zone.

 

Can you still use CP to re-roll mission rolls? I thought that was eliminated in a recent FAQ or Errata that didn't let you re-roll things like seize the initiative or mission rolls.  Don't have source off-hand though.

 

Edit: Found the source.  Chapter Approved 2017 pg 67 paraphrase - You can't use Command Re-roll on any dice roll before battle begins, rolls to see if game ends, or rolls for D3 victory points or similar.  

[Riot Earp]

I met someone who also said he could choose the side. All others players do it random.

 

Aa you mase a 13 inch charge with the captain you could not have made it because you can announce only units in 12 inch.

 

Otherwise good report. :)

[Morticon]

I will take that under advisement!! Thanks guys.  

 

[Morticon]

Reading the rule, its very clear that you rol

 

I met someone who also said he could choose the side. All others players do it random.

Aa you mase a 13 inch charge with the captain you could not have made it because you can announce only units in 12 inch.

Otherwise good report.

D'oh!!!!!!! 
 

[Azekai]

There is so much emotion in this battle report, haha! Morticon, you got a flair for the dramatic. Rest in peace, brave sons of Sanguinius.  

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

We’ll played Mort well played my friend.

[Morticon]

There is so much emotion in this battle report, haha! Morticon, you got a flair for the dramatic. Rest in peace, brave sons of Sanguinius.  

 

 

Dude, i was quietly RAGING!!! 

 

[Dont-Be-Haten]

 

 

There is so much emotion in this battle report, haha! Morticon, you got a flair for the dramatic. Rest in peace, brave sons of Sanguinius.

 

Dude, i was quietly RAGING!!!

There's a saying we use on this side of the pond. It's called, "being a duck in water" on the surface you are calm as can be, but beneath your legs are just churning a long.

 

I both love and hate games like this some times. It's always that first devastating round that makes it hard to stay positive through the rest of the game.

 

At least on the surface it's good to see you composed.

 

I 100% agree with how rubbish the beta rules are with regards to deep striking. I wish they would at least make it to where you can't deepstrike in your opponents deployment zone rather than forcing you to deploy only within your own turn one. Especially with how powerful shooting is as always.

 

This goes hand in hand with my qualms about playing astartes mono-builds. Truthfully i wish legacy marines were the stat line of primaris, and primaris were beefier. Both still feel over priced for what they do.

 

Good battle report. What do you think you would change moving forward? A Fire Raptor or Storm Raven? A pair of stormhawks/talons?

 

There are a couple lists I've been eyeing to try, that I will post later. I've also decided to transition to Sanguinary Guard backed by a SG Ancient over Death Company, just because DC feel too fragile imo.

[brother_b]

Great battle report. How big is the gaming group and what part of china? Cheers!

[Morticon]

Great battle report. How big is the gaming group and what part of china? Cheers!

 

It's in Beijing- and the chat group is around 40 people, but there are looooads of local players.  

 

Just most dont play in English ><; 

[Lynnean]

Time to learn chinese Mort!

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Knee How. :D

[keeblerartillery]

Mort - do you find the cp bonus of a brigade is worth it? Or are you thinking of splitting up into multiple dets will be more impactful?

[Morticon]

Mort - do you find the cp bonus of a brigade is worth it? Or are you thinking of splitting up into multiple dets will be more impactful?

 

Not only do I find that the CP bonus is worth it, I find I'm unfortunately TIED to the brigade because of it. 

 

I dont like mixed detachments (of non-SM) - im happy to induct "counts as" Space Marines where it makes sense - but I dont like the guard mix in to get more CP. 

 

This being said, I would consider having other detachments if I had an Aquilla/Grand Strat Guard CP miner and a Veritas leader.  

 

With 13 CP standard (-1 for visions, -1 for extra relic - which is usually Veritas)) I still run out of CP by turn 3. 

 

 

The fact that BA literally rely on the CP to make them viable is a little unfortunate :( 

[keeblerartillery]

Mort - I hear you. I'm currently theory crafting and am torn between a few ideas. All are pure BA (except for an allied knight), as I agree with your opinions on "soup". Some are a BN plus a detachment or two, mostly trying to squeeze in that knight, but I have run out of CP pretty quickly as well. Thanks for the insight!